I’m changing the focus

I’ve decided to focus on school this semester, so that maybe one day i can actually graduate.  I’ve always taken the approach of scheduling classes around my work schedule, and if a class doesn’t fit, oh well, i’ll take it next time…  Well, this time, instead of scheduling around things like, storytime, or certain times i’m locked into for babysitting, I actually just went ahead and scheduled my classes like any normal college student does, who’s looking to take the classes they need to take, instead of what’s convenient for other people. 

I really hesitated about scheduling a class for 10:00 on Thursdays.  Storytime.  I sucked it up and signed myself up.  I actually enjoyed the freedom so much, that I decided to keep signing up, and keep signing up, and here I am, enrolled in eighteen credits…

Tomorrow I’ll be giving my two weeks notice at Starbucks.

It was a difficult decision.  This morning at storytime, the store was flooded with some of my favorite children….even kids I hadn’t seen in months.  It was a lot of fun…They all “get it” now…They all run over to the blanket, eager to help me set up.  They all sit there anxiously, glued to every word of every story, waiting to hear what happens next, laughing at all of my corny jokes…  It’s so good for them, I’ve realized.  To have this interraction, with me, as an adult separate from their parents, reading to them…With each other, with kids they wouldn’t have met any other way, coming together every week to laugh and plot in their heads and discuss what might happen next.  To discover that there are stories that can really make them question and can really make them laugh.  And it’s exactly what I’ve needed most—to take a break from the reality of the workweek and spend some carefree time surrounded by preschoolers.

When storytime was over, and the store emptied out, I was sweeping up the remains of little chocolate cookies and tiny frappuccinos, and the other partner on the floor came over to me and said, “You’re gonna be missed.”  I just nodded.

I’ve decided I need to really focus on graduating so I can figure out exactly how I will be spending my life.  I need to make sure it’s going to be everything I need.

And if it doesn’t work out, maybe starbucks can hire me as a storytime contractor…and i’ll spend my days going from store to store…That crazy woman with her blanket and stuffed animals and so many crazy stories =)